5 - A Year Ago

Why was Cecily in front of her? Why was she in her bedroom? How could Cecily speak to her so casually after what she had done? Belinda had so many questions, but at the moment, she was preoccupied with one thing—protecting herself. Still facing Cecily, her fingers searched her bedside table for anything she could use as a weapon, and they curled around a sharpened pencil. The writing utensil might not do much to hurt a werewolf, but it would distract Cecily enough for Belinda to escape.

"The dress looks a bit off on you, but it doesn't matter because it's just right for the occasion." Cecily clapped her hands together in delight.

Belinda's facial features squeezed into a confused frown. "What?"

"Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet." Cecily folded her arms and pouted. "It's obvious Derek intends to propose tonight. He bought you a dress, told you to wear the dress, and is having dinner with our family."

Her words only angered Belinda the more. "What are you talking about? You already made sure our wedding would never take place. Why would he propose to me again?"

"He's already proposed to you? Then why aren't you wearing the ring?"

Looking into Cecily's eyes, Belinda grew more confused. It was either Cecily's acting skills had greatly improved, or she truly was being honest. Then Belinda caught sight of the dress she had on and instantly gasped. She could never forget the pink and white floral patterned gown, because she'd worn it only once in her life—the night that Derek had asked her to marry him. Why was she in it again?

That was when Belinda took a better look at her bedroom. The cream wall paint was actually the color the villa had been before Georgina decided she much preferred the walls peach, and the odd bedspread was the same as the one Belinda had used months ago. Her mobile phone on the table dinged, and Belinda picked it up to view the message just sent by Derek.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." It read. Belinda spotted the date on the screen—August 13th, 2023.

"Well, it doesn't matter if he's proposed already. He's making it official today. See you at dinner." Cecily left Belinda alone with her chaotic thoughts.

What was happening here? Why was her phone's date set to exactly one year ago? She unlocked her cell to correct the mistake, only to be bombarded with the latest newsletter from the blogs she'd subscribed to. All were news and gossip from the previous year. If her phone date was wrong, then was the internet also wrong? Really, what was happening here?

"Miss, dinner is ready." Martha poked her head through the doorway of the bedroom.

The maid wore her dark hair in a single long French braid. Only yesterday, her hair had been barely shoulder length. How had she grown her hair that fast? Belinda walked down the stairs to the dining room, and sure enough, her family sat around the table eating supper, with one chair left empty beside Derek. She watched for any sign that they were planning something sinister, or were even the slightest bit uncomfortable in her presence, but the scene she saw below was completely ordinary.

Paul glanced at her with his usual disinterest, Georgina pretended she didn't exist, and Cecily waved eagerly at her with a phony smile. Derek straightened up when he saw her, but his small smile lacked any guilt or shame. He didn't seem like a man who had just dumped his mate to be with her stepsister.

"Would you sit down, for god's sake! Your standing there like a demented ghost is ruining my appetite." Paul snapped when he could ignore her no more.

Belinda took her seat beside Derek. Her mind was in a whirl. She could hardly make sense of what was going on. It was almost as if, her wedding day had never happened. If it had, then how could they all sit here together and pretend they had not literally murdered her?

"Why aren't you eating, big sis? The cook put a lot of work into tonight's meal. It's gonna offend her if you don't eat." Cecily said suddenly, dragging Belinda out of her thoughts.

Belinda lifted an eyebrow. She remembered Cecily saying those exact same words on the exact same night a year ago. Looking down at the dish in front of her, she confirmed that indeed they were having Grain Salad with Grilled Shrimp. She hadn't eaten because she had been too occupied with her own thoughts, and knowing what she knew now, she would never consume anything prepared by her family, but she was also deadly allergic to shrimp.

Mythical creatures usually had unique bodies that protected them from regular human illnesses, but Belinda was hardly a werewolf. So one day, after eating shrimp soup for the first time at 8 years old, she almost died from an allergy. Cecily, who had been 6 at the time, declared a day later that shrimps were her absolute favorite. The cook made shrimp-based dishes often, and whenever that happened, Belinda went hungry. That was probably Cecily's plan.

"Let her be," Georgina said, without looking up from her plate. "You know she can't eat shrimp."

Georgina had replied the very same way to Cecily a year back. Closing her eyes, Belinda prayed—moon goddess up above, what in the world is going on? Opening her eyes once again, she looked round the table. If today really was a repeat of her engagement night, that would mean Derek would be proposing any second now.

And sure enough, Derek cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention to himself. He then turned to Belinda. "Belinda, I have something very important to ask you."

He offered her his hand and Belinda hesitated to take it, but she eventually did, and Derek led them out the table. With her family as an audience, he got down on one knee and fished out a violet velvet box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a diamond ring.

"I know this is coming pretty late, but you should know ever since I found out you were my mate, I've considered myself lucky. I want to create a life with you and make a family we would both adore. I—" He hesitated at that point. "—love you. Will you marry me?"

Belinda gazed down at Derek's handsome face. He was down on the same knee he had gone down on a year ago and had recited the very same speech. There were only two possible explanations. It was either her family had developed a sense of humor and was playing a very twisted prank on her, or she had gone back in time. Belinda was being given a chance to change her past, to rewrite history. Here she was, with all the people she hated in one room, and they had no idea she was onto them. She was being offered her revenge on a platter of gold, and she was going to enjoy making them suffer ten times more than she had.

Spreading her lips into the sweetest smile, Belinda gave Derek his answer. "Of course, I'll marry you."